Michigan Tenant Background Check and Screening Laws

What a Tenant Background Check Covers

Landlords use background checks to learn more about the renters who apply for their units. Here’s what they include:

Credit history: Review the renter’s credit score and open credit lines to gauge their financial situation and determine whether they can afford the rent. Background checks also reveal their payment history, credit inquiries, collections history, and civil records.

Criminal history: Find out if the renter has a criminal record — and to what extent. TurboTenant checks 200M+ records to identify previous misdemeanors, felonies, or active warrants. Before you use this information to make a decision, check your local and state laws to stay compliant.

Eviction history: TurboTenant compares over 25 million eviction records from all 50 states, including reports of failure to pay rent, unlawful detainers, writs and warrants of eviction, and judgments for Rent, Possession, and Money. Make sure to confirm Michigan’s legal guidelines.

Income verification and fraud detection: TurboTenant Pro users get access to advanced tenant screening tools powered by Snappt, which detect the following:

• Fraudulent documents,
• Fake employer information, and
• Known ‘bad actors’.

Rental history: Get in touch with the applicant’s previous landlords to learn more about how the renter behaved in leases. Ask about how well they maintained the unit, if they ever came close to violating the lease, and what their rent payment habits were like.

References: Complete your analysis by contacting the renter’s references from their application form, including past employers and personal contacts.

Federal Tenant Background Check Laws

All rental owners in the U.S. must follow these federal laws regulating tenant background checks (Michigan landlords included):

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): To pull an applicant’s credit or background report, you need what the FCRA calls a “permissible purpose” to run the report. Written, standalone consent is how landlords and screening companies document that purpose, which is why every reputable screening service asks for it up front. The law also requires you to provide applicants a summary of their FCRA rights. And if something in the report leads to a denial, requires a co-signer, or results in less favorable terms, you must send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report before the final adverse action notice goes out (What Tenant Background Screening Companies Need to Know about the FCRA).

Fair Housing Act (FHA): Landlords can’t discriminate against or deny applicants based on these protected classes:

• Race,
• Color,
• National origin,
• Religion,
• Sex,
• Familial status, and
• Disability.

The FHA prohibits all forms of discriminatory screening practices (Fair Housing Act).

HUD Guidelines: HUD formerly urged landlords to consider the circumstances of criminal offenses, but then withdrew that guidance during a 2025–2026 deregulatory review. The risk it flagged does, however. Since Fair Housing Act disparate-impact claims rest on case law (Inclusive Communities, 576 U.S. 519 (2015)), an automatic ban can still land you in court, which makes case-by-case review the safer call.

Michigan Tenant Screening Laws

State-level laws are just as important as federal requirements. Follow these Michigan tenant screening laws to stay compliant and avoid disputes:

Criminal history: Michigan doesn’t cap lookback periods for criminal history or set certain types of criminal records as off-limits.

Fair Chance Housing (“ban the box”): There isn’t a “ban the box” law in Michigan. Landlords can consider an applicant’s criminal history from the beginning, and they don’t have to make a conditional offer to run a background check.

State-specific Fair Housing additions: The state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act considers the following renter traits as legally protected:

• Age,
• Marital status,
• Sexual orientation,
• Gender identity or expression,
• Height,
• Weight,
• Source of income (landlords with fewer than 5 units are exempt) (Mich. Comp. Laws § 37.2502).

State-level notice/disclosure requirements: Landlords don’t have to notify renters when running a background check for tenants or make any mandatory disclosures.

Reusable tenant screening reports: Even though some states allow them, the rules are always changing. We recommend checking your local laws or speaking with a trusted real estate professional before using them.

Tenant Screening Differences by City in Michigan

Many cities in Michigan enforce their own local tenant screening laws. Here’s a quick look at how the requirements change from city to city:

Detroit, Michigan

Fair Chance Housing/”ban the box”: Landlords with five or more units can’t ask about or consider a renter’s criminal history until they make a conditional offer (Detroit, MI., Code § 22-8-5).

Criminal lookback caps: After making a conditional offer, landlords can only consider felony convictions from the past 10 years and prison release within the past 5 years. However, certain offenses don’t have a time limit, including violent cases, arson, and crimes requiring lifetime sexual offender registration (Detroit, MI., Code § 22-8-5).

Individualized assessment requirement: When conducting a background check, Detroit landlords must provide the renter with a copy of the background check and allow them to dispute any issues. Landlords must also provide a written adverse action notice if they reject a renter based on criminal history (Detroit, MI., Code § 22-8-7).

Grand Rapids, Michigan

As for the local laws regulating tenant screening, Grand Rapids mirrors the state’s policies with the following exception:

Local protected classes: Grand Rapids’s Human Rights Ordinance adds additional criteria to its list of protected classes. Landlords cannot discriminate based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genotype, medical condition, height, weight, and source of lawful income (including housing vouchers), in addition to the federal and state lists (Grand Rapids, MI Code § 9.935).

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Fair Chance Housing/criminal lookback caps: When conducting tenant screening, Ann Arbor landlords can’t consider, ask about, or require disclosure of a renter’s criminal history. As a result, there are no lookback caps because a landlord can’t include it in their background check (Ann Arbor, MI., Ord. No. § 21-06).

Source of income protection: The city’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance prohibits landlords from discriminating against or denying applicants based on their source of income (Ann Arbor, MI., Ord. No. § 9-150).

Locally protected renter traits: Ann Arbor law also prohibits discrimination based on the following:

• Actual or perceived age,
• Arrest record,
• Educational association,
• Family responsibilities,
• Gender expression/identity,
• Genetic information,
• Beliefs,
• Sexual orientation,
• Veteran status,
• Victim of domestic violence/stalking, and
• Weight (Ann Arbor, MI., Ord. No. § 9-150).

Screening fees: Local law caps rental application form fees at $50 and requires landlords to refund the fee if they don’t accept the tenant within 60 days (Ann Arbor, MI., Code § 8-532).

Red Flags to Watch Out For

Err on the side of caution by taking a moment to investigate any potential issues you find in a tenant background check. Michigan landlords, here’s what to pay attention to:

Inconsistent rental history: While it’s not always the case, renters with significant gaps in rental history may struggle with consistency.

Criminal charges: Look out for serious offenses that could put the property or other tenants at risk. But be sure to comply with your state and local laws.

Late payments or collections: Avoid stressful rent collection by taking a renter’s history of late or missed payments seriously.

History of evictions: Evictions often reveal underlying problems tied to lease violations, so landlords should review the details before making a decision.

Unverifiable income: If you notice an inconsistent income stream, review their overall financial situation and consider their long-term ability to pay rent on time.

How to Legally Run a Tenant Background Check in Michigan

Ultimately, the best way to stay compliant and mitigate risk is to use a verified tenant background-check provider, such as TurboTenant. Here are a few other best practices to follow:

• Get the renter’s written consent in advance.
• Verify the renter’s identity and SSN.
• Carefully review each report.
• Check for any evictions or criminal history (per your local laws).
• Use fair and consistent criteria.
• Send an adverse action notice when required.